funding for PUGET SOUND STEELHEAD |
action alert
DEMAND FUNDING FOR SALMON AND STEELHEAD MONITORING IN PUGET SOUND
We are asking our members and fellow anglers to call and/or email their state representatives to advocate for a fully funded Quicksilver Portfolio in the next state biennial budget. You can locate your state-level legislators and their contact here. For more information, or for inspiration for your calls and emails, click on the 'FAQ' and 'Letter Template' icons below.
Thank you for speaking up for Puget Sound steelhead!
Thank you for speaking up for Puget Sound steelhead!
On May 20, 2025, Washington State passed its 2025-2027 biennial budget, which determines how much state funding will be allocated to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) various programs.
In this biennium, WDFW received $0 for ‘Puget Sound Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring’— a package that includes support for Puget Sound freshwater fisheries monitoring efforts, including steelhead spawning estimates and angler surveys, and fishery planning efforts, including preparation of fishery management plans for steelhead fisheries.
WDFW requested $1.6 million to continue this program, also known as the Quicksilver Portfolio. When it was first funded in the 2021–23 biennium budget, the Quicksilver Portfolio did three notable things that directly impact North Puget Sound steelhead:
All of the progress for these northwest Washington river systems is at risk. And yes, this means that without funding for steelhead monitoring in Puget Sound, the 2026 Skagit River winter/spring steelhead catch-and-release fishery is on the chopping block!
In this biennium, WDFW received $0 for ‘Puget Sound Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring’— a package that includes support for Puget Sound freshwater fisheries monitoring efforts, including steelhead spawning estimates and angler surveys, and fishery planning efforts, including preparation of fishery management plans for steelhead fisheries.
WDFW requested $1.6 million to continue this program, also known as the Quicksilver Portfolio. When it was first funded in the 2021–23 biennium budget, the Quicksilver Portfolio did three notable things that directly impact North Puget Sound steelhead:
- Increased monitoring of wild steelhead presence and spawning activity in the Nooksack, Samish, Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Snohomish watersheds
- Developed hydroacoustic/sonar and video monitoring tools on the Skagit, Samish, and Nooksack rivers
- Established catch and release fisheries for wild steelhead on the Skagit and Sauk rivers under a federally approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for 2023-2032
All of the progress for these northwest Washington river systems is at risk. And yes, this means that without funding for steelhead monitoring in Puget Sound, the 2026 Skagit River winter/spring steelhead catch-and-release fishery is on the chopping block!
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A Guide to Contacting your State Legislators
- Enter your address here, and click 'Find My District.'
- Click on each of your State Legislators. For this effort, you do not need to contact your Congressional (federal) Representatives.
- On each legislator's webpage, there will be a phone number and a link to their email form. If you prefer not to use the form, you can find their email addresses on our 'Find Your Legislators' doc.
- Either copy and paste language from our 'Letter Template' doc, or freestyle it. The more personal you make your comments, the more weight they carry.
- Set a recurring calendar reminder weekly or biweekly, and follow up on your initial outreach. Ask for updates. Keep on them to make sure they know how important this is to their constituents.